Scott Harding has had an interesting football career, starting in the AFL with Brisbane and Port Adelaide before getting a shot at american football with the University of Hawaii as a wide receiver and then later a punter. Harding now is looking to use his knowledge to help the next wave of Australian looking to the USA via his new venture Hard Knocks Football Academy.
Welcome to Hard Knocks Football Academy – taking Australian athletes into American Football
— Hard Knocks Football (@Hardknocks_Au) 20 February 2016
The academy will be based in Melbourne and the first camp/tryouts will be held in May also in Melbourne with a plan to expand and run camps interstate. The camps are designed to educate the participants on the American game; teach some basic skills and techniques, and to test the physical capabilities of the athletes.
Harding joined the SEN NFL Podcast this week to chat further about the academy during the week which you can listen to below:
As talked about in the interview the program will also handle the necessary communications with the NCAA and college compliance departments to ensure that guidelines are followed and the desired University is selected. Guidance with the academics will also be provided to help potential athletes reach the level required to receive a scholarship to a 4 year university.
With more and more Australia’s headed off to the USA to play college sports the game of American Football is more popular than ever and Harding has provided another path way to the college football system.
